The new high definition (HD) channel kicks off at 7pm with a series of programmes made in true HD: The One Show, followed by Wallace and Gromit: World of Inventions (the new series brought to you from award-winning Aardman Animations), as well as some food for thought with Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers and Jimmy’s Food Factory. The Apprentice and Film 2010 will also show in HD that evening.

It is also announced today that the BBC’s award-winning continuing drama EastEnders broadcasts in HD for the first time on Christmas Day, allowing viewers to catch all the drama in Albert Square in even more vivid detail.

EastEnders follows Holby City which made the move to HD on 18th October 2010. It will be shown on the BBC’s existing HD channel, until BBC One HD launches in November.

The new HD channel will simulcast a network version of the BBC One schedule, with the majority of peaktime programmes in HD, including The Apprentice, Strictly Come Dancing, Children in Need, Antiques Roadshow, Countryfile, The Graham Norton Show and The Royal Variety Show.

Jana Bennett, Director BBC Vision said;

Whether it is seeing the flicker of irritation on Lord Sugar’s face in a boardroom showdown or watching the beads of sweat fly from the dancers on Strictly, BBC ONE HD is the biggest sign yet that HD viewing is now part of the mainstream.

Danielle Nagler, Head of HD & 3D says;

It’s incredibly exciting to begin the official count down to the launch of the new channel, and we’re delighted to be launching with BBC One’s popular flagship programe, The One Show.

The arrival of the UK’s favourite channel in HD – as a second HD channel from the BBC – will increase the range and choice of HD programming we can offer the ever growing HD audience.

“The existing BBC HD channel has been hugely successful. It will continue to show programmes from across all BBC channels, to allow all HD viewers to find programming they can enjoy. And it will now have space to accommodate more hours of new HD programmes from the BBC.

Bryan Kirkwood, Executive Producer EastEnders says;

Christmas Day in Walford is traditionally, turkey, tinsel and turmoil for the residents of Albert Square. This year will be even more spectacular with viewers having the opportunity the watch the festive drama unfold in HD for the first time.

*Those shows which aren’t made in HD – including EastEnders up until Christmas Day – will still be on BBC ONE HD – but will be upscaled.

The BBC HD Channel will continue to bring programming such as Top Gear, Wimbledon, children’s programming, golf coverage, great drama, comedy, music and factual programmes from BBC TWO, THREE and FOUR throughout the week. We can also announce that this year we’ll bring viewers some of the last races of this year’s Moto GP in HD as a trial run for the sport on the channel.

The Autumn launch is the first stage in delivering BBC One in HD. The majority of programmes in the BBC One network evening schedule will be available in HD at launch, and by 2012 it is expected that the vast majority of all BBC One titles across all hours will be in HD. In time the channel will evolve to bring all programmes, news and current affairs to viewers in the nations and regions.

Been wondering when BBC One HD would launch. Good to finally have a date! Looking forward to the last couple of F1 races upscaled, and hopefully in HD next season, and like Al Catraz above, the last MotoGp races, in HD Lets hope this encourages other broadcasters and channels to get on board!

Totaly agree, there are plenty choices in channels. I don’t watch the soaps, but again you have got to be totaly depressed to watch them, anyway everyone has got different taste in what they find interesting.

Don’t Sky have to show BBC in HD without HD subs as it’s part of the license fee? Same reason that iplayer isn’t on the xbox because MS don’t want to have it as part on the silver memebership package only the paid for gold membership?

Great news that it is now finally comfirmed, a 3rd HD channel on Freesat, next for me now, has to be Channel4HD.
Its a bit boring now where on forums and alike, you get the odd one moaning about a channel DOG, if you have to moan about the channels DOG being onscreen, you cannot really be watching the programme can you?
A DOG is in the top corner of the screen, not right in the middle, so for the love of what ever, quit winging about a broadcasters choice to put a logo on screen!!

10. It’s not that difficult remembering 108, 109 and 119. $ky don’t do it either although they do have an hd category on their epg, so when (!) we get lots of hd channels, maybe freesat will provide such a category too.

@19 Agreed, be happy that a new HD channel is coming to Freesat, yet the first word out of some peoples mouths is ”no DOG please!!!!” if all you can add is a comment about about a broadcasters choice to have a DOG onscreen, go some place else where moaning about nothing is the norm as it is far from constructive to the fact BBC One HD is coming to the service!!

For me personally the DOG isn’t an issue providing it isn’t too obvious, but if you really don’t like them being there at all, maybe visit Danielle’s twitter feed linked to in the post and voice that opinion; she will at least be aware how strong the objection to it is

I dont have an issue with any bodys opinions, but its irritating when everytime a new channel launches, someone moans about a channel DOG, its about time folk come up with something diffrent to talk about instead of the same boring moaning tosh everytime, ‘no dog please!!!’ its not constructive, its boring, if a broadcaster wants one, deal with it, if you look at the DOG, why pay a licence fee, you obviously dont watch the show do you!!

as for the DOGs – lots of people rely on those when zapping through their channels to identify what channel they are on – its an important service item and if its not as intousive as the CITV logo why not? I know it does not look stylish on any recordings one shows off to ones friends … 😉

Great news, looking forward very much to BBC1 HD. On the subject of DOG’s I don’t mind them so long as they are pretty transparent.
Like BBC HD I’m sure they’ll remove it for drama’s and evening films + it will only be there for native HD content too.

nope – that one’s there for ever … regional outlet … there are same BBC tests and ID Links spred over the BBC tps as well

I think the admin made a typo with that frequency – BBC1 HD should appear next t BBC HD on the the emptied tp 10.847 V (now only home to BBC HD and link ID 6945, the remaining two regionals shut down earlier today)

I think it is great that BBC1 HD is launching & look forward to BBC2, 3 & 4 doing likewise in the future.

As for DOGs Ian, I find then an irritant & wish they were gone forever. I wear glasses & even if there is a small speck on the edge of a lens & not in my direct field of view then I have to clean it off as soon as possible. I sometimes wish my peripheral vision was as poor as yours obviously is.

I am also a wearer of spectacles, and agree 100%. The DOGS are at their worst, when they are close to a face, or when the camera is panning, as the DOG becomes the only thing static on the screen, and tends to draw the eyes to it.

Admin,
re the SHOUTING–
apologies–I have been reprimanded about the caps lock on a couple
of occasions when making a comment on a Forum. I will endeavor to mend my ways——-.
Many thanks for the info on BBC1 HD.
GFW

BBC has said in an article today that BBC HD1 (or BBC1 HD) will be in “True HD” and have already done a commercial in 3D for Strictly Come Dancing that will work on most HD televisions. The BBC have been known for sometime to be testing in True HD but confirmation is always good.

Top Left Corner is possibly the worst place to put the damn things, especially as its one of the most visible parts of the screen (probably because we read a page tlc/lr downwards)

A nicely transparent one in the Bottom Right Corner would be far better, nothing much happens there in any programming, and it would still be an indication of the channel you’re on.

Its not going to happen, is it…

Oh well, nice to see BBC1 HD. Its a pity they’re launching with The One Show, I gave up watching the One Show after the petty treatment of certain contributors and I’ve not returned. I see that the ITV Breakfast Show is bombing, I wonder if thats something to do with the new presenters too?

i would like to point out that @42 is not me!! i dont spell my name on here starting with an upper case I, so the taz disc comment, although has a good point to it, is not mine!!

@admin, yes, everyone has a point of view, and i DO respect peoples opinions on the subject, the point i was making here, is that everytime a new channel launches, within 10 comments, you always get a ‘no DOG comment’ even though everyone knows it will have one, it is repetative, and not constructive to the fact that BBC One HD is launching, but i repeat, i do respect peoples feeling on the matter!!

To ian who supports another Ian, I would like to say, as a driver for 38yrs, I have never been distracted by my tax disc when turning left, but I have been distracted frequently, by the DOGS on my TV screen, but of course, watching TV for me, is something to be enjoyed, and I would not compare it, to driving my car. As I said before, you look through a car windscreen, so the focal point is beyond likely distractions, you look AT a TV screen, focal point TV screen. To sum it up, one you look through with concentration, because someone’s life may depend on it, the other you look at with relaxation, and to be fair to the BBC, it is one of the least obtrusive, I hardly ever watch channel 5 now, as the pop ups and the like just, spoils it for me.

How about a poll to allow all the DOG lovers and DOG haters to vent their spleen by way of a vote? That would also provide a pretty good cross section of opinion to present to anyone willing to listen.

Just to annoy a couple of other forum friends – my vote would be a resounding NO!

BBC are making the DOG’s on screen allot less visable now, they have reduced the visability of the one for BBC Three, i dont find the BBC Four one to intrusive either, and the BBC HD one is almost invisable now, if you want an intrusive DOG, put the tv channel Colours on, that i agree is diabolical!!

Woooooooooooooo BBC One HD….
Is it realistic to think that in the next few years, and the DSO not that many years away from being compleate, that we will have BBC Two HD, BBC Three HD and BBC Four HD?

Not wanting to veer too much off subject, I’ve noticed ITV1HD’s DOG has increased in intensity over the last couple of weeks since the launch of ITV2HD. I emailed ITV Viewer Enquiries about this and they claimed nothing had changed which is incorrect! Since me politely informing them that they were wrong in this respect it seems they’ve had a few other complaints and the intensity is to be reduced again to a more opaque contrast.

BBC HD’s DOG has reduced in brightness recently, not sure when this change was done but I guess BBC1HD will have a DOG (it’s pretty much a dead cert), again if opaque like the one on BBC HD it won’t be an issue for me. At least the beeb remove DOG’s for films etc.

We should all be celebrating the imminent arrival of BBC1HD and it’s increase in our Freesat HD channel choice which is what I’m most looking forward to.

I would guess it will be 1440×1080 as per the current BBC HD channel but we’ll have to wait until closer to launch before we’ll know. It must start testing pretty soon, presumably sometime next week?

My guess is they’ll add the channel to the EPG a bit before the 3rd with a holding caption explaining the BBC HD channel EPG changes on all different platforms so people going to 108 will then have prior warning BBC HD is now on 109!

I don’t mind the DOGS as they help to protect my product and many other peoples content from being copied and allow the viewers to record on their PVR. The alternative which could still happen is the BBC, ITV and many other channels could be forced by independent’s to disallow content being copied.
I am one of the few who prefers the DOGS over encrypting content making it impossible to record. I for one don’t care if the DOG is big, small or translucent as long at can be seen enough to ensure it’s been copied. You should be glad we don’t live in some countries as some DOGS are so large they cut off the action on screen and others appear right in the middle of the screen especially during news footage. Broadcasters in this country are quite restraint when it comes to DOGS.

thats ne pro the other is one view identify what channel is on – its very helpful for a lt of people (and a kind of marketing as well) – and yes its a lot better than the whole lower screen blocked by adverts or other “important information” by the channel as a lot of german broadcasters do

but you won’t get that into the contras – even less as when sky movies, sky news, virgin media, canal plus … or 4 HD will join freesat … they will always ask and moan, as impossible (apart from 4HD in future maybe) it is Its like GW Bush join the afghan resistance or the green movement

back to topic … still no sight of any testing. Any idea if they will start like moviesandmen or can anyone detect something hinting to something going on on that tp? I assume they will not change anything whilst BBD HD is on thus outside the preview hours?

SL is right, the DOGS don’t prevent programmes being copied or floated around the web, it just allows them to self-promote in those particular instances where it isn’t being watched through official channels.

I think what mediaman was about is to record from tv and since there is no hint for that if there is no dog inserted sinister people could burn them and sell them as bootlegs. Theres nothing wrong to record it for private use. So yes it is some sort of prevention apart from the marketing and showing trademark aspect

I was talking about Bootleg copies being made which seem’s to be happening more and more as jobs are being cut and people are desperate for cash. Also if the DOG is showing on an illegal site or without permission the DOG is vital proof of rip off and like a security number on electrical products can be used as proof in courts.

I have no problems with people using PVRs or even making a backup copy as long as they don’t redistribute it. Most people who like a show will buy the DVD especially if you give them something extra never before available.

The current issue (No. 274) of the magazine Computer Shopper looks at HD TVs. The Panasonic Viera (LCD) 32″ only scored one star because ” the Viera TX-L32D28BW’s image quality is the worst of all the TVs we’ve seen recently . . . “.
However, the 42″ plasma model scored five stars and a “Best Buy” award. I wonder how many of the people who moan about transmission standards have actually bought the wrong telly.

When I press the Guide button on my Humax STB I notice there is a blank space bottom right.

Could this be for a forthcoming HD channel list?.

If so, it would be an advantage if Luxe TV HD came to the Freesat platform as after November 3rd there would be 4 HD channels on Freesat and it would save us switching between Freesat and Non Freesat modes.

#73: Satom – the SID (service ID) label names were removed from those SID’s following the Mux reconfigurations Monday morning however the two channels were still broadcasting for two further days. The video PID’s (Programme Information Descriptor) containing the streams have now been removed from the associated SID and therefore bandwidth freed up. It’s quite common for some services not to have their SID’s labelled whereby the operator wants them hiding from searches on Sky/Freesat STB’s (Sky do this with their Box Office channels), in this instance the BBC didn’t want people to retune and find the existing two services.

There was good reason for ‘dual illumination’ on both the old and new Txps for BBC1 CI and BBC1 Cambridge, they have now disappeared as no longer needed. my guess is these labels on the HD Multiplex, which are still present, will now be re-assigned, or at least one will, to 6941 which according to BBC Reception Advice will be the SID for BBC1HD. What will happen to the other is an interesting question only time will tell although I’m keeping my fingers crossed for another particular channel to join along with it! Expect some testing next week for BBC1 HD, it’s always the case that new services test before being added to the EPG, typically 1-2wks prior.

81 – Bigal: – Luxe TV went out of business, it seems they’ve either written their debts off and set up under a different business name or administrators have sold their assets off to another broadcaster as it’s now labelled as “Luxury Life TV”. If they’ve got new backers with more to invest then lets hope they pay for Freesat inclusion, who knows!

Ok, i never thought me having a rant about DOG’s would stir this much talk up!! but hey, worth it, i think we have seen a good cross section of opinions on them, everyone is diffrent, some like them, some dont.
Here is a question for you all, do you think BBC One BBC Two, ITV1 and Channel4 will have a DOG after the DSO? for some reason, i think they just might!!

Im hoping the biterate is as top quality as possible on both the BBC HD channels, to drop them to the level you get on Freeview is wrong, its the BBC for crying-out-loud, you expect the best, not a standard like it is, the $ky Sports channels on a Free box are better quality than BBC HD on Freeview, thats not good enough for the licence payers!

@84 neil
thanks for the info … reason I asked was usually when I use my non sky-nonfreesat box to check tps and the IDs only have been remved but the streams are still there I get TV Channel as a channel ID. But since those two were removed this week they don’t show at all. Just the BBC HD and the linked ID 6945
and btw I don’t like make believe all staged and prescripted “live shows” at all …

satom: I’m not sure why 6945 is present on the BBC HD TP. That SID links directly to the VPID and APID’s that are BBC HD on 6940. I suspect it’s to allow for BBC testing and R&D related stuff, they may choose to remove this once they clear up the now unused labels. I’d like to see a 6942 appear (C4HD) but I might be being just be too optimistic there!

DOG-wise the BBC Three DOG has definitely been reduced in it’s intensity. I hadn’t noticed it until someone on here mentioned it. I do hope the BBC One HD DOG is smaller overall than that of BBC Three but as mentioned previously if it’s as transparent as that of BBC HD’s then I’ll be happy with that (ITV take note!).

I don’t like DOGS in principle… but the BBC’s are definitely the “least worst” by far so if anybody wishes to complain to the BBC if there is a DOG on BBC ONE HD I’d try to keep it positive and constructive.

The BBC FOUR AND BBC HD DOGS are transparent. self-coloured and taken off for particular programmes. If the policy for BBC ONE HD is the same I could live with this. With a slight modification, say to extend the “DOG patrol” to include say sitcoms and performance based LE as well as dramas , even better!

It will be in the very corner of the screen as per BBC HD and ITV1HD DOG. As HDTV’s are widescreen only (and there’s no 4:3 HD sets) then in effect there is no need for a 4:3 ‘safe area’ as you’d get with SD broadcasters.

Now that the SD channels have been moved off the transponder will the BBC change to DVB-S2 or stick with DVB-S. I understand that all Freesat boxes support DVB-S2 so cannot see why not. It would allow the space for a third HD channel or higher bitrates.

Actually a number of the programs listed as to be in HD on BBC1 are already shown on BBC HD. That will free up BBC HD to show alternative programs to BBC 1 so that BBC HD can concentrate more on BBC 2, 3 and 4 programs in HD.

Whilst I can appreciated that HD-Sceptic is not so exited about HD why does he think you need to spend serious money for HD. In real terms HD TVs are very cheap. I recall spending £450 on a VCR many years back (1980s). Now you can get a 32″ LCD HD TV with integral Freesat receiver for the same monetary amount. An average annual sub to Sky is around £600 so in real terms the equipment is not expensive.

That’s a good point about clearing space on BBC-HD. It will give the Beeb more opportunity to show off the programmes from the minority channels.

From discussions on this site, you get very little benefit from watching HD on anything less than about a 37″ set, whilst most posts seem to favour 42″ or larger. Tests on TVs draw attention to the varying quality of the picture and in-built tuner(s). The sets which give good reception, a good picture and acceptable sound cost a lot more than your £450 guide price. Would you advise me to buy down to a price, rather than up to a decent performance? As a sceptic, I need something to convince me that the end result is worth the cost – and, at present, it is not.

Even sets with built-in HD tuners, generally, do not feature recorders. If I wish to record Freesat HD I need a suitable PVR. Whilst the Humax box is currently being offered for £179, most are a lot dearer than this.

If I were to upgrade my kit to do a decent job of viewing and recording HD it would cost me serious money. Freesat is doing a grand job, and I am quite content to stick with their SD service until I can see some clear benefit to me in upgrading.

I have to disagree that there is little benefit watching HD on anything less than a 37″ TV. I have a Panasonic 32″ HD TV and I can definitely see a marked difference between HD and SD broadcasts. I think you may be confusing full HD 1080p with 720. I must admit our TV was considerably more expensive than £450 but I did go for a TV with better sound and it was a couple of years ago.

Strange it might seem I did purchase a very cheap satellite box but it has been working fine and the picture quality is far in excess of what I get on terrestrial broadcasts. As for recording I can still record using my ancient VCR, but I seldom use it as the picture quality is so poor. I am considering building a HTPC which would give me capability of recording satellite transmissions, proper Internet, gaming and Bluray.

I have tge Grundig hd01 freesat box and i cant seem to get the manual tune to pick up BBC ONE HD any ideas what i could be doing wrong? it wont let me change from mhz to ghz setting and it wont let me change the option from3/4 to fec 5/6

An interesting reply – thanks for that. Some time ago I bought a DVD recorder from Scan for £60. It has a range of inputs (but not HDMI) and a choice of recording quality. By recording via the S-Video or composite inputs I can match SD broadcast quality and, by using re-recordable DVD blanks, I get the economy and flexibility of S-VHS. My trusty Humax PVR9200T looks after the Freeview SD side of things.

You’re not disagreeing with me about the merits of 37″ HD as I have no experience. It was the consensus which emerged after some discussion on this site.

I have always rated sound quality highly, with the picture giving me more information about what I was hearing. I’ve always tried to get the best reception of the TV signal – sound and picture.

My trusty Sony Trinitron failed a few months back and its replacement is capable of 720p. Age has taken its toll (on me!) and I’m now dependent on subtitles. These were not available the last time a friend checked ITV-HD and STV-HD. The BBC-HD includes subtitles, but there is rarely anything on there that I would choose to watch. I would say I value programme interest over picture quality. I despaired when I saw the programmes which the Beeb has chosen to launch BBC1-HD. And Eastenders in HD for Christmas leaves me cold.

I guess my scepticism will remain until HD adds that “must see” factor to otherwise good programmes. And HD pictures need HD eyes!

I have checked out the new schedules for BBC HD from the 3rd November and there is now a much greater choice of HD available on the BBC (much better than ITV). I am not quite sure what you mean by the “must see” factor as I believe many programmes already have that factor. Programs such as Great British Railway Journeys, Seven Ages of Britain, Coast, Wonders of the Solar System, Michael Wood’s Story of England, The Apprentice, Life all look fantastic in HD.

Even ITV has a selection of HD programs that are worth watching such as Greatest Cities, Survival with Ray Mears, Downton Abbey and Whitechapel. However I do agree with you re Eastenders. I would rather poke my eyes out than have to watch that depressing program!

I noticed a difference while the commentators were interviewing one another in the pit lane before the race, However, I normally skip that bit and switch on just before the race starts. The most revealing coverage of the race itself came, as always, from the on-board cameras on the bikes. I am sure that the on-board cameras were not HD. A bit of Beeb upscaling joined up the dots on my friend’s big screen.

I came away wondering, as always, what all the fuss was about. The viewing experience was not notably better than my own 32″ SD set-up. It was a good race though!

Just looking at the schedules for the week ahead (Dont you love Digiguide) my worry that BBC HD would disappear seem to be unfounded Quite a line up and different schedules so seems obvious to me that BBC HD will remain as its own channel for some time ahead.

While BBC One HD and BBC One are almost identical here in Wales – there are some regional BBC One differences that pushes BBC ONE SD into a BBC +1 position late evenings – Might come in real useful 😉

Admin
With only a few hours til launch, the Foxsat HDR is still devoid of a re-tune. Having trawled the net and more specifically Humaxdirect, it appears that the HDR can be re-tuned to receive BBC1 HD, only after launch. Seems a strange way of adding a channel. Any chance of you putting this as a new thread, to save others trying to find the info too? Of course, if this info is incorrect or there is a tuning update this afternoon, I’m sure you will advise.
Thanks